The fifth world went dark.
Not ordinary darkness.
A darkness so complete that I couldn't even see my own hands.
"Lyra?"
No answer.
"Mother?"
Silence.
I turned toward the First Queen.
"What did she mean?"
The First Queen said nothing.
I stepped closer.
"She said Nerath was never my enemy."
Still nothing.
"Tell me the truth!"
My voice echoed through the chamber.
Shawshank gently touched my shoulder.
"Bjei…"
I pulled away.
"No. Everyone keeps telling me what I am, what I was created for, who I should trust."
I looked at the First Queen.
"But nobody tells me the whole truth."
The woman who looked like me stood beside me.
"She is right."
The First Queen closed her eyes.
"You are not ready."
I laughed bitterly.
"I've heard that before."
Nerath suddenly spoke.
"She is ready."
Everyone turned.
He no longer looked angry.
He looked tired.
Almost broken.
"I have waited too long for this moment."
Shawshank stepped forward.
"Don't listen to him."
Nerath looked at him.
"You were taught to fear me."
"I have every reason to."
"No."
Nerath shook his head.
"You have every reason to fear what she will remember."
He pointed at me.
I felt a chill.
"What will I remember?"
Nerath stared directly into my eyes.
"The beginning."
The chamber disappeared.
Suddenly I was somewhere else.
There was no sea.
No sky.
No land.
No fifth world.
There was only emptiness.
And in that emptiness stood a young woman.
Me.
But she was different.
She wasn't afraid.
She wasn't angry.
She was alone.
Then something appeared beside her.
A small golden light.
The light became a creature.
Nerath.
But he wasn't dark.
He was beautiful.
His body was covered in silver and gold markings.
His eyes were bright.
He looked at the young version of me.
And she smiled.
"You came."
Nerath nodded.
"I promised I would."
My heart pounded.
I watched them.
They walked together through the empty space.
The young Bjei touched the darkness.
Stars appeared.
She touched the ground.
Oceans formed.
She lifted her hand.
The sky opened.
Nerath watched everything she created.
"You're making a world," he said.
"No."
She smiled.
"I'm making a home."
I suddenly understood.
The first world wasn't created by the queens.
It was created by me.
And Nerath helped me.
The vision changed.
I saw the first people arriving.
Then kingdoms.
Then fear.
Then war.
The people began fighting over my power.
The young Bjei became frightened.
"They're destroying what we made."
Nerath stood beside her.
"Then we should stop them."
"How?"
"Erase the borders."
She looked at him.
"If I remove the borders, they'll all become one."
"Yes."
She hesitated.
"But they'll still fight."
Nerath looked at her.
"Then give them choice."
She smiled.
"That sounds right."
The vision changed again.
The five worlds began forming.
But something went wrong.
A black storm appeared.
Nerath screamed.
The young Bjei reached for him.
"Nerath!"
The darkness swallowed him.
I gasped.
The storm wasn't created by Nerath.
It entered him.
Corrupted him.
Changed him.
I watched helplessly as his silver markings became black.
His eyes changed.
His voice became deeper.
And the young Bjei cried.
"I'll save you."
Nerath pushed her away.
"Run!"
"I won't leave you."
"You have to!"
The darkness consumed him.
And the young Bjei made a terrible choice.
She divided the world.
The five worlds separated.
But Nerath was trapped between them.
Neither alive nor dead.
Neither good nor evil.
Just forgotten.
The vision disappeared.
I opened my eyes.
Nerath was standing before me.
Tears were running down his face.
"I begged them to remember me."
He looked at the First Queen.
"They called me the first darkness."
The First Queen lowered her head.
"You became dangerous."
"I became what you made me."
His voice cracked.
"You left me alone."
Nobody spoke.
I looked at him.
"You were protecting me."
He nodded.
"At first."
"And then?"
"I became obsessed with saving you."
My heart hurt.
"I thought destroying the boundaries would bring you back to me."
He looked at me.
"But I became the very thing I was trying to destroy."
Shawshank stepped closer.
"Then why did you hurt her?"
Nerath looked at him.
"Because she chose you."
Silence.
"You were the one thing I could never control."
He looked at me.
"And I hated you for choosing love over me."
I felt tears fill my eyes.
"But I don't hate you."
Nerath looked shocked.
"I should."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"You were lost."
I reached for his hand.
"You were hurt."
He stared at me.
"And now?"
I swallowed.
"Now you have a choice."
His hand trembled.
Then the entire chamber shook.
The First Queen suddenly shouted,
"Bjei, move!"
A massive crack opened behind me.
Something emerged from it.
Not Nerath.
Not darkness.
Not any creature I had ever seen.
It was a woman.
She had my face.
Lyra's eyes.
And the crown of all five worlds.
She looked at me and whispered:
"Finally."
Then she smiled.
"Now that you know the truth…"
She raised her hand.
"…we can begin the final war."